The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack eBook

Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was getting ready to go
to bed behind the Purple Hills and the Black Shadows
were beginning to creep out over the Green Meadows
before Mrs. Quack came. In fact, Sammy Jay and
Blacky were getting very uneasy. It was almost
bed-time for them, for neither of them dared stay
out after dark. They had almost made up their
minds to leave Peter to tell the news when they saw
Mrs. Quack coming swiftly from the direction of the
Big River. She looked so sad and discouraged
that even Blacky the Crow was sorry for her, and you
know Blacky isn’t much given to such feelings.

“What is it?” demanded Mrs. Quack eagerly,
and it seemed to Peter that there was a wee bit of
hope in her voice.

“Did you happen to notice that just before the
Laughing Brook joins the Big River it flows through
a little swamp?” asked Sammy.

Mrs. Quack nodded her head rapidly. “What
of it?” she demanded.

“Nothing much, only if I were you I would go
down there after dark,” replied Sammy.

Mrs. Quack looked up at Sammy sharply. “Why
should I go down there?” she asked.

“If I tell you, will you wait until I get quite
through?” asked Sammy in his turn.

Mrs. Quack promised that she would.

“Well, then,” replied Sammy, “this
afternoon I found a stranger hiding in there, a stranger
with a beautiful green head and neck and a white collar.”

“Mr. Quack! Oh, it was Mr. Quack!”
cried Mrs. Quack joyfully and lifted her wings as
if she would start for the swamp at once.

“Stop!” cried Sammy sharply. “You
said you would wait until I am through. It won’t
do for you to go there until after dark, because there
is a hunter hiding very near Mr. Quack’s hiding-place.
Wait until it is dark and he has gone home. Then
take my advice, and when you have found Mr. Quack,
bring him right up here to the Smiling Pool.
He can’t fly, but he can swim up the Laughing
Brook, and this is the safest place for both of you.
Now good night and good luck.”

XIX

JERRY MUSKRAT’S GREAT IDEA

A friendly friend is a friend indeed When he
proves a friend in the time of need.

Mr. and Mrs. Quack had been so much taken up with
each other and with their troubles that they had quite
forgotten they were not alone in the Smiling Pool,
which they had reached by swimming up the Laughing
Brook. So it happened that when Mrs. Quack suggested
that if Mr. Quack’s wing got strong they might
be able to find a lonesome pond not too far away where
they could make their home for the summer, they were
a little startled to hear a voice say: “I
know where there is one, and you will not have to fly
at all to get to it.” Both jumped a little.
You see their nerves had been very much upset for
a long time, and the least unexpected thing made them
jump. Then both laughed.